Shaft-coupling.



N0. 69|,448. Patented Jan. 2i, I902.

' J. .1. COWELL.

SHAFT COUPLING. ('Applic'lition filed Apr. 24, 1901.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR 7 BY. 3 I I 4 QQTTORNEYS UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS J. COVVELL, OF WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK.

SHAFT-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,448, dated January 21, 1902.

L Application filed April 24, 1901.

T0 'aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS J. COWELL, of Weedsport, in the county of Cayuga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shaft-0ouplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in. shaft-couplings.

The object of this invention is to produce a shaft-coupling which may be manufactured at a minimum cost, is positive and -etfective in gripping the adjacent ends 'of the alined shafts, and may be readily released from the shaft without displacing any of the parts.

The further object of this invention is to form the gripping-jaws integral with the body of the coupling and to so construct said coupling that the only removable parts are the screws for expanding the gripping-jaws;

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the parts of a shaft-coupling, as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an end View of my improved coupling shown as mounted upon a shaft. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken, respectively, on line 2 2, Fig. l, and line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

My invention consists, essentially, of a cylindrical shell 1 and a substantially central lengthwise hub 2, formed of less diameter than the shell 1 and united to said shell by a series of substantially radial spoke-arms 3 for forming lengthwise chambers 4 between the spoke-arms and between the shell 1 and hub 2.

The shelllis preferably formed atits opposite ends with annular flanges 5 for forming recesses or'chambers 6 in the opposite ends thereof, and the hub 2 is preferably extended outwardly through said recesses or chambers,the opposite end faces of the hub being disposed in planes substantially coincident with the end faces of the shell 1 for forming as long a bearing upon the shafts as possible and at the same time permitting as much of the metal of the shell 1 to be cut away as may be consistent without weakening the coupling and Serial No. 57,292. (No model.)

for the purpose of lessening the Weight of the coupling.

Although the outer and inner shell 1 and 2 may be united by any number of spoke-arms 3, I preferably con nect said shells by four sub-- the adjacent ends of alined shafts, as 10. The

other spoke-armsare providedwith threaded apertures 11 of greater diameter than the thickness of the arms forseparating the jaws 9 from the main body or shell 1 at opposite sides of the lengthwise slot or division 8. It

. is evident from the foregoing description that by dividing or splitting two of the arms longitudinally from end to end fixed jaws 12 are formed as an integral part of the outer shell 1 and also as a part of the hub 2 and that the remaining portions of the hub between the slot '7 and the slot 8 form the clamping-jaws 9 of the hub 2. It is further evident that by forming the threaded apertures 11 of sufficient size or diameter to cut through the side walls of the other arms at opposite sides of the slot 8 said jaws 9 are free to move inwardly when sufficient pressure is brought to bear upon the wall of the threaded apertures 11.

These apertures 11 are preferably tapering.

inwardly from their outer ends and are usually provided with square threads, which are engaged bytapering screws or keys 14, formed with similar square threads, so that as the screws are moved inwardly toward each other the clamping-jaws 9 are forced into engagement with the shaft ends 10, thereby firmly clamping said shaft-sections to each other. In order that the portions of the jaws 9 engaged by each of the screws 14 may be moved independently of each other, I preferably provide the coupling with an inner annular groove or recess 15, which divides the jaws transversely into substantially equal lengths, it being understood that the annular grooves extend entirely through the hub portion of the coupling and preferably through the spoke-arms previously mentioned.

In the operation of my invention the ends of the shaft to be coupled are inserted into the shaft-opening of the hub 2. The keys or screws 14, being normally engaged with the threaded apertures 11, are then rotated in- Wardly for moving the same toward each other, whereupon the jaws 9 are forced independently into engagement with the shaft-section 10, and when desired to remove one of the shaft-sections the clamping-screw adjacent to the section to be removed is screwed outwardly, whereupon the jaw engaged by said screw is released from engagement with the shaft-section, which may then be readily removed, it being apparent that there is sufticient spring tension in the operation of the spoke-arm uniting said jaws to the body 1 to force said jaw outwardly and that either of said shaft-sections may be removed independently of the other without disturbing or loosening the other shaft-section.

The operation of myinvention will now be readily understoodmpon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shaft-coupling comprising an outer shell and hub, and a pair of spoke-arms uniting the hub to the shell, said hub being provided with lengthwise slots for forming jaws,

the shell and hub being provided with separated bearing-faces arranged diametrically opposite to each of the spoke-arms and tapering screws engaged with said bearing-faces for the purpose described.

2. A shaft-coupling comprising a shell having fixed shaft-engaging jaw and independently-movable jaws springing from the shell and separated from each other in a radial line opposite the center of a fixed jaw, said shell and movable jaws being provided with threaded bearing-faces,and tapering screws engaged with said bearing-faces for the purpose described.

3. A shaft-coupling comprising a shell, a fixed jaw having its opposite ends united to the shell and its intermediate portion separated from the shell and adapted to engage the shaft, movable jaws springing from the shell in opposite directions from the junction of the fixed jaw with the shell, said shell and free ends of the movable jaws being formed with threaded bearingfaces, and tapering screws engaged with said threaded bearings.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 9th day of April, 1901.

JULIUS J. COl VELL.

Vitnesses:

MILDRED M. NoTT, H. E. CHASE. 

